"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:29)

Monday, August 3, 2015

Scripture Q&A (Part 2) - Where Does Truth Come From?

"Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth." (John 17:17)

How's that for a short, simple answer?

Truth is God's word.

God sanctifies us in His word.

So, His word is where we find truth.

Yes, I know, it's not like me to be concise. But, in this case, it's the best way to be clear. Perhaps, all I can do is provide other ways to say the same thing.

Truth is the word of God.

All Scripture is God breathed... (2 Tim 3:16-17).

The word of God is alive and powerful (Heb 4:12).

Truth is the revelation of God through Scripture.

Truth is God's reality.

God's reality is who He is, who we are, what is His eternal plan, His purpose, what is the church, what is suffering, who is Christ, etc., according to His perspective.

Truth comes from God. Truth comes from God's word. Scripture is God's word. So, what truth will sanctify you? God's word, aka Scripture. (Stay tuned for the Who and How of sanctification.)

So, in John 17, why did Jesus pray that His disciples, and those who would believe through their message (John 17:20), for His Father to "sanctify them in the truth"? Simple answer, so that the truth, through God's word, would set them apart from the world.

Another way to look at this beautiful simplicity is to understand what truth is not. Truth, God's word, does not come from...

the wisdom of humans

personal experience

feelings nor emotion

anything apart from Scripture

traditional nor ritual

higher moral standards

inward meditation

legalistic self-righteousness

reciting the Lord's prayer nor a sinner's prayer

salvation alone

etc.

I think you get the idea. The list above is just a list of what Scripture, God's word, is not. If God's word cannot be those things, neither can truth be. Why? Because "Your word is truth."

Furthermore, which I'll save for another time, there are distinguishing features of the truth, God's reality, His word, as it pertains to the church. Huge differences from anything we've seen before.

But, for now, we've looked at a high-level of what truth is (Part 1) and where truth comes from (Part 2). Stay tuned while we ask how we acquire this truth (Part 3). We will need this 3rd part as we seek to discover the critical details of the truth as it applies to Christ's church, His body.

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25)

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About Me

I believe God wants all people to be saved and come to the full knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). I believe God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Heb 11:6). For me, that meant questioning why I believed what I did. I'd like to share some of the various lessons I've learned in my life. I'm confident that He works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28). I believe it is our responsibility to seek to know Him on His terms, because He wants us to know Him deeply. I believe that is the purpose for which He has called us to be Christians. Thank you for reading, feel free to comment, and may God bless you!